ABSTRACT
The clandestine operation of the parties meant that activity was concentrated on writing articles and distributing hand-outs with their message. This chapter tries to examine the way the parties treated the Refugee Question in their publications and their attempts to appeal to the refugees through this medium, by approaching them directly or by raising their problems, which are of course separate but interrelated approaches. In a highly controlled situation in which they were without means of legitimate political organization and protest, Palestinians willingly placed their faith in the power of pan-Arabism and all forms of Arab Unity as preached by all political parties. However, by the mid-1950s the shift in emphasis as reflected in all parties' publications was clear. In summary, one might conclude that the competition between the parties only weakened them as serious opposition forces and made it easier for the regime to terminate or undermine their activities through its efficient secret police.
